Motor-vehicle transmission



Feb. 23 1926.

J. D. FRASER MOTOR VEHICLE TRANMISSION Filed sept. 25, 1922 Trim-.1.

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JDHN DANIEL FRASER, 0F LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE TRASMISSION.

Application mea september z5, 1922. serial 1ro. 590,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN DANIEL Fnasna,

a resident of thc town of Leamington, in the county of Essex, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Motor-Vehicle Transmissions, of which the following isthe specification.

` My invention relates to improvements 1n motor vehicle transmissionsand the object f the invention is to devise a variable speed mechanismby means of which the gear ra-` tio between the en ine shaft and thedriving wheels of the ve icle may be altered by merely decreasing orincreasing the rotative speed of a member of the transmission.

A'further object is to devise a transmission in which the gears willalways be in mesh, thus reducing the wear thereon and also the noise ofthe gears coming in contact, and a still further object is t o devise atransmission in which there will be an infinite number of gear ratiosinstead of any set number.

My invention consists of a transmission constructed and arranged all ashereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a transmission constructedaccording to my invention, and y Fig. 2 is a vertical section throughthe line 2-2 Figure 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent views.

. l is the engine shaft upon therear end of which is rotatably mountedthe sleeve 2. 3 is the driven shaft, the forward end of which is freelyinserted into the sleeve 2. 4

is a gear keyed to the engine shaft 1 in the vicinity of its rear endand 5 is a gear keed to the driven shaft 3. 6 is 'a gear rotata lymounted on the sleeve 2 andl carrying a pluralit of longitudinalrotatable stub shafts the axes of which are on the same radii. 8 arepinions secured to the forward ends of the shafts 7 and adapted to meshwith the gear 4, and 9 are pinions secured to the rear ends of theshafts 7 and adapted to mesh with the gear 5,.

10 and 11 are two independent longitudinally extending counter shafts,the shaft 10 carrying the gear 12 adapted to mesh with a gear 13 securedto the engine shaft in front of the gear 4. His a inion secured to thecounter shaft 11 and a apted to meshwith the gear 6. The adjacent endsof the shafts 10 and 11 are connected together by a friction clutch 15.The rear end of the driven shaft 3 is provided with a plate 16 uponwhich are rotatably mounted the differential pinions 17 which meshrespectively with the internal teeth of the crown gear 18 freely mountedon the rearwardly extending shaft 19 suitably mounted in bearings 20.

21 .is a right hand pro eller shaft provided with a inion 22 at itsorwardvend adapted to mes with the external teeth of the crown gear 18,and provided at its rear end with the bevelledp1nion'23 meshing with theinternal teeth of the driving drum 24, secured to the right hand rearlwheel 25. The forward end of the 'shaft 19 is provided with the gear 26which also meshes with the pinions 17.

27 is a bevelled gear secured tothe shaft 19 intermediately of thelength of the same adapted to mesh with the pinion 28 on the forward endof the left hand propeller shaft 29 which is providedat its rear endwith a bevelled pinion 30 meshing with the internal teeth of the drivingdrum 31 secured to the left hand wheel 32. A'

My device operates as follows: The clutch 15 is so designed that thespeed of the shaft 11 can be varied relatively to the shaft 10 and whenit is desired` to vary the speed of the driven shaft 3 relativel to theengine shaft l the speed ofv such driven shaft 11 is varied by means ofthe clutch and if the shaft 11 is decreased in speed the gear 6 which isconnected thereto by means of the pinion 14 will be decreased in speed,thus causing anincrease inspeed 1n t e stub shafts 7, with a con uentincrease in speed of the inions 9 w ich. will increase the speed of t egear 5 and consequentlyl the driven shaft 3. The crown gear 18 and thegears therein .replace the ordinary differential gears and are merely*`so designed to be applicable to two independent pro eller shafts.

On t e other hand should the speed of the shaft 11 be increased throughthe medium of the clutch 15 it is obvious that the speed of the gear 6will be increased and consequently the speed of the pinions 9 will bedecreased with the conse uent decrease in the speed of the driven sha 3,relatively to the engine shaft 1..

-Direct drive can be secured by locking the shaft 11 against rotationwhich will in turn lock the gear 6 against rotation, and thus the stubshafts 7 will now act as counter shafts and as the pinions 8 and 9 areof the same diameter and the gears 4 and 5 of the same diameter, it isobvious that the driven shaft will be rotated at the same speed as theengine shaft.

In order to throw the gear into neutral it is only necessary to releasethe shaft 11 which will permit the free rotation of the gear 6 and whenthis occurs there will be no positive driving connection between thegear 4 andthe gear 5.

The differential action of the driving wheel drive is as'follows: v

The crown gear 18 is driven by the pinions 17 which rotate about thecentre of the shaft 3 as well as on their res ective stub shafts. As theright hand riving wheel is retarded when turning to the right,y

the speed of the crown wheel 18 decreases and conse uently the speed ofthe pinions 17 about t gear 26, which through the medium of the gear 27and propeller shaft 29 l xv r`i'esp0nd ingly increases the speed oftl'ielet hand driving wheel 32.

On the other hand should the left hand driving wheel be retarded byturning to the left, the speed of the crown gear 18 iseincreased and asthe crown ear 18 is connected to the ri ht hand driving wheel the speedof such right hand correspondin ly increased. i From the a ovedescription it will bev'seen that I .have devised a simple and effectivetransmission in which the ratio of the eir own axes is increased withvthe consequent increase in rotation of the 'engine and driven shafts, of

`thereto in the vicinity of ltheir adjacent :driving wheel lbe P' shaft,an a gear on the forward counter driven shaft to the engine shaft can bevaried infinitely instead of being limited to a predetermined number ofgear ratios. In addition I have devised a transmission in which al1-thegears are continually in mesh.

lVhat I claim as my invention is: 1. In a variable speed transmissionfor motor vehicles, the combinationv with the engine and driven shafts,of gears secured thereto in the vicinity of their adjacent ends, anidler gear mounted between the gears and free ofthe respective shafts,`a plurality of longitudinally extending stub shafts rotatably mounted`oii the idler gear, pinions on the forward and rear ends of each stubshaftmeshing respectively with the gearson the engine and a plurality ofcounter shafts, a friction clutch between the adjacent ends of thecounter shafts, shaft meshing with the idler gear, a second gear on theengine shaft, and a gear on the forward counter shaft meshing therewith.`2.v rIn a lvariable speed transmission for ym'otofr vehicles, thecombination with the gears secured ends, van idler gear mounted betweenthe fears and'free ofthe respective shafts, a rivingconnection on theidler gear engaging the vl respective ears, a plurality of countershafts, a friction` clutch between the Vadjacent ends o f the countershafts, a pinion on the rea'r'fv counter shaft meshing with the idler`O'ear', a: second gear on the engine shaft meshing therewith.

JOHN DANIEL FRASER.

driven shafts a pinion on the rear counter

